Attendees of 'leaked minutes' meeting may face action

All those who had attended an informal meeting with Penang PKR chief Mansor Othman – where details of the discussions were leaked on the Internet last June – could face disciplinary action if the person responsible is not identified.

It is learnt that unless the culprit or culprits own up to leaking the minutes of the meeting online, the seven members who attended the meeting on March 19, other than Mansor ( right ), would be issued show-cause letters.

When verbatim details of the minutes hit the press last week, the PKR leadership frantically looked for the culprit and 'suspected’ two of the attendees at the meeting.

However, a check revealed that none of the seven present at the meeting had been issued show-cause letters yet.

When contacted, PKR disciplinary committee chairperson Tan Kee Kwong said he was yet to receive an official report from the Penang leadership on the members responsible for the leaked document.

"Perhaps, they are still carrying out their own internal investigation. In any case, it is bad behaviour and attitude to leak details of a meeting that is supposed to be an internal chat among party members," he told Malaysiakini .

Malaysiakini was made aware that those who shared the minutes with outsiders may not have intended for the discussions to be leaked onto a blog.

However, the information “fell into the wrong hands” was how a source described the situation, resulting in increasing tension and suspicion among party members.

Cocky, arrogant ‘tokong’

Mansor, who is also Penang deputy chief minister I, had chaired the March 19 meeting at Komtar, after 5pm.

Those present included state PKR deputy chief Law Choo Kiang, Bukit Bendera division deputy chief Felix Ooi, Bayan Baru deputy chief Tan Seng Keat, 2004 candidate for Bayan Baru Raymond Ong, Tanjung Youth chief Ng Chek Siang, Batu Uban chief Cheah Peng Guan and the deputy chief minister’s assistant John Ooi, who is also a PKR member in Bayan Baru.

The minutes, published verbatim in an obscure blog Gelagat Anwar on June 16, 18 and 19, quoted Mansor as allegedly describing his boss, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, as “cocky and arrogant”.

Mansor had also reportedly remarked that Lim is a tokong (deity) revered by many, when speaking about not caving in to the DAP’s alleged demands for more seats in the coming polls.

Several parts of the minutes created waves within the party, especially with state information chief Johari Kassim, who was not too happy when it was mentioned that his division had asked for money to prepare for election.

Another upset leader was Machang Bubok assemblyman Tan Hock Leong who - according to the minutes - would be replaced by a younger candidate from outside Penang.

The minutes also revealed that Sungai Acheh assemblyman Maktar Shapee had allegedly boycotted Anwar's visit to the area because the matter did not go through him.

The issue of who would stand as candidate in Pantai Jerejak also came out in the discussions, where the members were hoping for a Chinese candidate to be fielded there instead of Penang municipal councillor Rashid Hasnor.

Meeting to discuss leaked minutes, upcoming polls

At a joint press conference with Lim last week, Mansor denied that he criticised his boss and called him cocky and arrogant, saying his comment was blown out of proportion.

When Malaysiakini spoke to Mansor before details of the leaked minutes were revealed, Mansor had said "genuine concerns" were raised at the meeting and it also touched on the party’s preparations for the coming 13th general election and its seat negotiations with DAP and PAS.

The Penanti assemblyperson was upset that the minutes had been leaked and vowed to investigate and bring the culprit or culprits to book.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that PKR will hold an ad-hoc meeting in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

Opposition Leader and PKR de facto chief Anwar Ibrahim is expected to attend the meeting slated for 10am at the party headquarters in Tropicana, Petaling Jaya.

PKR leaders are expected to discuss preparations for the coming general election in light of the strongest hint yet given recently by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

According to a source, the meeting is also expected to brief on the leaked minutes and Mansor, as the party’s supreme council member, is expected to be at the meeting tomorrow.

Even so, another source expressed doubt, telling Malaysiakini that the issue of the leaked minutes may not even be raised in the meeting in KL.

"Do you think Anwar has so much time to look into the matter. As far as we are concerned, it is a small thing," the source said.